The death of the 46-year-old follows that of Canadian actor Cory Monteith in a Vancouver hotel room last July

The death of the 46-year-old, who was found dead in his New York apartment on Sunday morning from a suspected drug overdose, follows that of Canadian actor Cory Monteith in a Vancouver hotel room last July.

The star collapsed outside the Viper Room, a Hollywood nightclub partially owned at the time by Johnny Depp.

Phoenix had a squeaky-clean image and his drug use was unknown to the public before his death at the tender age of 23.

In 1982 American comedian, actor and musician John Belushi, one of the original cast members of the comedy show Saturday Night Live, died in Hollywood after overdosing on a mixture of cocaine and heroin - a 'speedball' - at the age of just 33.